Jan Harmsgat Country House — Hotel in Langeberg Local Municipality

This was our 2nd visit to JHG, this time we went with two other couples and their little daughter.

As per our 1st visit, our host Lionel, was absolutely amazing. Friendly, quirky and super attentive. We where shown to our rooms and we just felt at home as we stepped into our room. The other couples (their 1st visit to JHG) was just absolutely in awe of the surrounding natural beauty… and this was just the start! We were soon called by Lionel to jump on the Land Rover to go enjoy a wine tasting and a little tour of the farm… when we reached the top where we were going to enjoy the wine tasting…this is where everyone’s jaws just dropped… the views were spectacular! Being winter, we were spoiled with a very nice evening weatherwise and the sunset that was about to spoil us even more.

We are regulars at wine farms and often do wine tastings… but this was by far, THE BEST WINE TASTING EVER!

Amazing wine… no, really amazing wine and Lionel was an amazing host and helped us with some group photos… but the night was just about to get better… we booked a table at the Just Amy restaurant and following their recent tv program, i knew we were in For a treat since the new head chef and owner, Angelique Rabie recently won the competition to become the new chef and owner….

When we got to the restaurant, we were once again greeted by the friendly Demitri who is always ready to help and make sure the guests are as comfortable as possible. We soon got to know that it will only be our dinner party there for the evening and they even moved the tables around so our table was right by the fireplace!!!! Candles and more amazing set the tone for an amazing ambiance and we were excited when the head chef Angelique came out to greet us and tell us more about her specials… and wow, we were spoiled with amazing service and the food was at another level!!! We did her tasting menu which consisted of three starters, three mains and three desserts… till now, i cant pick a winner… each portion and taste was an absolute dream… we were in heaven! Part...

This is a lovely 3-star guest house. Beautiful old buildings, beautiful orchards, beautiful scenery. The service of Leandra and Nolene, the restaurant staff, was amazing. Leandra saw us to our room and showed us around and both of them made sure all our needs were catered for in the restaurant. The food was ok.

I never saw a manager once in our two night stay. I’m not entirely sure there was one. Just Leandra and Nolene who were permanently on duty. The whole place is in a serious need of some TLC. The magazines in the room are from 2019. I assume that’s the last time the owner was there to check on the state of the place. Perhaps Covid has gotten the better of this place. The bedroom was like the attic room at your gran’s country house - the one she hasn’t been able to climb to for a few years. Beige with big foamy pillows and chipped paint. A few scatters tossed around for a smattering of colour. One fresh pear and a sharp knife on the pedestal. Old koi matting lay on the floor, weighed down by a decade of dust. The pool loungers, once bold in black and white candy-stripes, had all lost their buttons, a few still lying sadly amongst the lawn. The umbrellas were broken, offering a limp shadow.

The highway hum droned on all night.

I would be ok with the slightly “rustic” state of the place and the total lack of any management if it was not being sold and priced as a 5-star establishment. But come on, when I’m paying a premium, I do expect a premium product.

This probably once grand establishment has been left forlorn. Bravely held together by two hardworking restaurant staff.

The orchards...

Nestled between Ashton and Swellendam, just off the R60 you will find Jan Harmsgat Country House. It truly offers you a luxurious and relaxing experience. The rooms are all spacious with their own flair and style - ours had a lovely veranda with the pergola covered in grape vines. There is a pool where you can cool off on a hot day. Something I really enjoyed about staying at Jan Harmsgat was that our stay included a tasting of their wines and we also got to go on a drive through the farm to see the different vineyards and orchards. On the game drive we also saw some of their black wildebeest and at the lookout point you get an amazing view of the area. We also enjoyed the dinner and breakfast at their restaurant, Just Amy, which I have reviewed separately. What is great about Jan Harmsgat is that there are quite a large number of attractions in the area including a large number of great wine farms. They pride themselves in everything they do from the decor in the rooms and value adding experiences, to the locally produced products they sell and their professional etiquette. We left there completely relaxed even after staying just one evening. Thank you to Farryn, Knowledge, Herman and Francois for making our stay...